THE GREATEST THAT IS IN YOU
Matthew 20:17-34
INTRODUCTION
I hold in my hand one of the most marvelous things in the whole world. It is brown in color, stream lined in shape, and so small that if I dropped it, I would have difficulty finding it again. Science can duplicate it’s content but not it’s ability. This marvelous something is an apple seed.
In this seed there is a complete apple tree. There is trunk with branches and twigs growing out in all directions. There are thousands of blossoms and green leaves and honey for the bees to gather and later there are branches bending with ripe apples. Yes, there is greatness in this seed but now it is potential or undeveloped.
II. There is undeveloped greatness in young people.
Sometimes we are tempted to call you empty headed. You are so skillful in resisting the entrance of knowledge. Some of you wish to learn, and some do not, and there are others who do not want any-one else to learn. At exam time your theme song must be “must I go empty headed, must I greet my teachers so not one thought with which to greet her. Must I empty headed go?”. But if we could not see what God has placed in every head. Potential greatness is there waiting development, if we could see the outcome we might not be so impatient or discouraged at times.
There was a boy who took care of his father’s sheep on one of the hills near Bethelem. He was too young to join Saul’s army but he could be entrusted to care for the flock. He grew up to become a King. There was a little girl who was stolen from her parents and carried to a strange land. She grew up to be the Queen of that country, 2000 years ago.
A little boy played in his fathers carpenter shop. His name was Jesus. The hometown people though that he was just another boy. They could not see his potential. But he grew up to be the Saviour.
When little Mary Reed played in her home New Caldwell, Ohio, no one dreamed that she would end up in China as a missionary to the lepers, but she did.
You are like this seed. God has put something into your life which when developed will make you great in his sight. Perhaps with-in you there is the greatest to become a doctor, a missionary, a teacher, an evangelist, a pastor, or something else, or God may call you to be just a helper.
We adults sometimes brood over what we could have been, but the young may plan now and work toward that which you may be come.
II. Developing the traits that lead to greatness
A. First of all one must develop termination, must have a goal purpose, a calling to fulfill. You develop determination one needs more back bone than wish bone. If you would capitalize on your potential you must keep at it, no matter what.
A young man played college football for four years, but never made the first team nor played in an important game. When World War II came along he enlisted and later gave his life to save his buddy. His college set up a bronze plaque in his memory. On it
were these words “He played four years on the scrubs. He never quit”.
B. Along with determination we must develop self control. Christy Mathewson is one of the greatest names in baseball. He was great because he had control of the ball. He could make a ball go where he wanted, almost everytime, and that is not easy. Some of us have difficulty in hitting the broad side of the barn but Mattie as he was called could put the ball over a pinhead.
It didn’t matter how much the crowd was trying to rattle him, nor how much depended on winning the game, he kept control of the ball. He controlling himself. He found it hard to take orders. At the end of each each practice session, McGraw required the team to run bases twice before boarding the buses. On this particular day the team began to run the bases but Mattie did not get off the bench. McGraw said, “Mattie run the bases and we’ll go home”. Mattie growled back, “I worked hard enough today without running bases” McGraw said, “Just the same you have to run the bases”, Mattie continued to sit on the bench. His teammates clustered around him and urged him to run. McGraw said, “Not a bus leaves until Mattie runs. Mattie sat still for a half hour longer, then got up and walked to first base. He stood there for a awhile as if struggling with himself. Then he ran the bases twice and jumped into the bus. He said afterwards, “That was the most important lesson I have ever had. I had to win the fight over myself and I did it”.
He refused to play on Sundays. He refused the use of his name in advertising questionable things. His Christian stand did more for clean sports than all the games he won. He had control over his appetites, over his time and money, over his thoughts and desires, over himself.
C. Good intentions must be translated into action. Besides determination and self control, there are other things which add to character such as reliability, respectability, humility, honesty and industry. Determination is not enough unless carried through. A child was drawing pictures with pen and ink on paper. One turned out to be a cat without a tail. “Where is the cat’s tail?” asked mother. The little girl answered “why it’s in the ink bottle yet”. Many of our good good intentions are like that. Let us get them out of the ink bottle and transform them into action. There are a great many failures in life due to not going for enough. We must keep on, success may be closer than we think.
III. Achieving Success through Service
The world’s standard for greatness differs from that of our Lord Jesus. According to the world, a great person is one who has the most money and things, the most servants and the most power in fact he is the one with the most.
But Jesus reckons great that person who works for the happiness of others. According to Jesus true greatness consists not in getting but giving, not in being served but serving. Jesus had difficulty in getting his followers to see this.They believed that rank and official position were the symbols of greatness, but Jesus said, “Not so! If you wish to be really great, start serving thers”. That seems like a strange way to get on and up in the world but it is the right way according to Jesus. “He came not to be ministered uto but to minister”.
John 2:6 states “He that says that he abide in Christ ought him-self also to walk even as Christ walked”.
One Christian, William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army wanted to send a message of encouragement to salvationist through out the world. A lengthy message was prohibitive so he chose a message of one word, and that word was “others”.
If you would really be great, let the Lord direct your efforts. Make yourselves available to God. As Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, put yourself at God’s disposal. Yield your bodies to him as implements of doing right. God wants the whole you for reasonable service.
In 1623 all things seemed to be rushing toward revolution. The world needed a good man to save England whose outlook was very dark. Almost everyone could see the need but no one could see the man.
Down in Huntingtonshire, a young man rested his hands on the handle of on his plow. He too saw the need for good man to lead the country out of chaos. As he meditated, he said, “Oliver Cromwell, you are the man to do it”. That evening he went to the Bible for direction. Reading closing chapter of Philippians he came to verse 16, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me”. Mediating on those gracious words he said, “He that was Paul’s aid is on my side too”. Cromwell with God’s help saved England.
CONCLUSION
You may not be called upon to save your nation, but God can certainly use your greatness in behalf of others. Put yourself at God’s disposal. Yield your all unto him as implements of doing right. If you would be great, find that greatness in service for others, for according to Jesus, that is the true way to find greatness.
